Latest articles from Islamic Finance

While enjoying massive success, Islamic finance has developed in a piecemeal fashion, with many warning that global standardisation is needed if it is to avoid fragmentation and successfully push into frontier markets. James King reports.

The meteoric rise of the Islamic finance industry in recent years has slowed of late, but taken as a whole its growth still outscores that of its conventional counterpart. The Banker recognises the leading Islamic institutions of the past 12 months, each of which has shown innovation and growth in a maturing market.

The Islamic finance industry continues to thrive despite falling oil prices in many of its key markets and regulatory changes that obstruct integration. As the sector matures, The Banker celebrate the industry’s finest in our Islamic Bank of the Year Awards 2016.

Kuwait boasts one of the most respected Islamic finance markets in the world. But ever keen to move with the times, the country is establishing a capital markets authority law designed to develop the domestic sukuk market, one of many recent boosts the industry has received.

Islamic finance's approach to risk sharing makes it less speculative and more disciplined than its conventional counterpart. However, says Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al Madani, the president of the Islamic Development Bank, if the industry is to reach its full potential, more collaboration and innovation is needed.

The Islamic finance success story shows no signs of abating, with banks in this field continuing to thrive in spite of continuing global economic pressures and social and political unrest in many of its strongholds. We celebrate the industry’s finest in our Islamic Bank of the Year Awards 2015.

Islamic finance may be a rapidly growing industry, but its pace of development is leading to a variety of shortfalls, from human capital to regulatory harmonisation. Daud Vicary Abdullah, the president of the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance in Malaysia, explains to James King how his institution could provide the answer to these problems.

Growth in Malaysia's Islamic finance market is outstripping that in both the country's conventional banking market and the Islamic industry in the rest of the world. James King looks at the factors fuelling its success.

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